Chief Minister Prof. Dr. Manik Saha on Thursday  said that the state government has undertaken a series of measures to permanently address flooding in Agartala city by increasing the navigability of the Howrah River.

He said a draft concept paper has been prepared for the Howrah River embankment at a total cost of Rs. 248.00 crore, and the work will be taken up in the EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) mode upon the availability of funds.

He informed that the Water Resources Division of the Public Works Department is currently implementing a special program to remove silt, solid waste, and debris accumulated along the Howrah River's banks, which is expected to be completed within the next six months.

Dr Saha said this while responding to a notice of calling attention in Assembly regarding immediate steps to enhance the navigability of the Howrah River in Tripura.

The Howrah River is one of the ten major rivers flowing through the state of Tripura. It originates from the western edge of the Baramura Hill Range and flows westward before merging with the Titas River in Bangladesh.

Dr Saha mentioned that the Howrah River basin was sparsely populated before 1900. However, over time, the population along the riverbanks in Agartala city, the state capital, has increased significantly.

He highlighted that the residents of the Howrah River have been utilizing it for their daily needs and economic benefits. However, their direct and indirect activities have not only contributed to water pollution but also altered the river’s morphology.

"Since the early 20th century, the flow of the Howrah River has undergone changes. Currently, the demand for its water is increasing for drinking and agricultural purposes in greater Agartala and its surrounding areas. The river’s natural flow is being disrupted due to the construction of roads, embankments, bridge piers, causeways, and sandbags placed to collect water. As a result, the navigability of the river is gradually declining," Dr. Saha explained.

Additionally, he pointed out that human activities such as land-use changes, sand mining, water harvesting, solid waste disposal, agriculture, and hill cutting for brick industries have further impacted the river's course and natural dynamics.

Dr Saha further noted that extensive deforestation has exacerbated soil erosion, leading to sediment deposition in the river. This has reduced the Howrah River’s water-holding capacity, increasing the risk of severe flooding even with minimal rainfall.

“To permanently address flooding in Agartala city and improve the river’s navigability, the PWD (WR) has prepared a draft concept paper for strengthening the Howrah River embankment. The proposal includes flood walls and safety enhancements along a 9.33 km stretch from the Indo-Bangladesh Border (IBB) fencing to Devta Chera Bridge at Chandrapur, with an estimated cost of Rs. 248.00 crore. The project will be executed in EPC mode once funds are available,” he stated.

He said that a concept paper for "Dredging and Rejuvenation" of the Howrah River at a total cost of Rs. 145.71 crore has been sent to the Department of Jal Shakti, Government of India on 8.12.2020 with the assistance of Agartala Smart City Limited for which Techno- Economic Appraisal and Techno- Economic Feasibility Study is being done and is awaiting approval after considering the feasibility.

“Along with this, there is a need to create overall public awareness so that dumping of accumulated dirt, garbage, etc. in the Howrah River water can be prevented so that the normal flow of the river water is not disrupted and the river water is not polluted”, he added.